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A pretty day in the woods
No boating although there was some water involved. Decided to go look
for some caves near Marianna, Fl before the woods got too overgrown to see anything and before it got too snakey. It was one of those days and places so jar droppingly pretty it made me wonder how appreciation for such beauty could have evolved. A high bluff overlooking Merritts Mill Pond a crystal clear spring fed lake. The woods were mostly hardwoods with Magnolia, Beech, hickory and others but the striking thing was the ground covered so thickly with Atamasca Lillies that one could not walk without stepping on them. These are small (about 8 " high" and white with a touch of purple and yellow stamens. Areas as large as several acres covered with them. Trillium were just starting to come out with their three leaves and small purple lilly-like flowers. Dogwoods were in full bloom too. We saw two Silverbell trees, smallish trees covered with small bell-like white flowers each trimmed with tiny green dots near the edges of the petals. In upland areas near pines (no caves there) the Crabapple trees were in full bloom with their whiteish and pinkish flowers with honeybees all over them. Also in the upland areas were the blackberry vines with their low white flowers. Yellow jasmine covered the scrub-oaks and Wisteria that had gone wild hung in curtains of bluish-purple fragrant masses. In the lower hardwoods were Buckeye shrubs with their bright red honeysuckle-like flowers. We even saw some Columbine flowering, sorta unusual in Florida except in this extreme northern part. A herd of deer, 6 does and one buck we saw was hanging out in the area as was a bunch of turkeys, just a week before turkey season starts. First cave we found was a tiny slot in the rock overlooking the lake. As soon as we entered it, we heard an angry hissing and saw an 8" tall ball of greyish downy fluff, a baby vulture with its mom protecting it. The vultures like to nest in these tiny caves and protect their young by barfing on intruders (yes, I have seen it happen). We backed away from the angry hissing mom and decided to try this cave another time. Next cave was a 20' pit that quickly ended in water, no fun there. Next was a small opening with a nice little room. It quickly pinched off in a narrow corridor. Next was a nice little one leading down to water and a long hallway. The other end of the hallway led to an opening at a cliff but we could not traverse the water. Going outside to the other end, it ended in a nice opening on a tiny very snake and gatorish looking duckwood covered pond. The bright green duckwood was great contrast against the darkness of the cave. None of us was enthusiastic about entering this water; getting snake bit and then gator bit woulda ruined the day. Last cave was a bit higher on the hill so a bit deeper, a tiny 2' wide chimney dropping 30' and then it belled out at the bottom making it very difficult for any animals to climb as evidenced by the bones of coons and possums down there on the floor. It went several hundred feet in 3 directions along narrow fissure passages but pinched off. All in all, a great day in the woods before it gets too hot. |
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